Rock Bottom Chicago Terminal Dry Stout

(Cleveland, 4.4% ABV) Brown-black body with tan head. Aroma is medium sweet, chocolate, light roast. Taste is medium sweet, coffee/chocolate, light roast. Watery light-medium body. Seems too thin for the style.

Nitro... DLD’08... Black ale with a mid-sized, creamy, everlasting, light brown head. The black malts impart notes of coffee, dark chocolate and acrid smoke (“...and horse’s breath...” ;-)). Medium-bodied and creamy with feather-soft carbonation. It’s supposed to be a Guinness clone and they pull it off, only with better balance. Essences of dark roast coffee, carbon and cocoa, but a touch thin. Finishes lightly bitter and lifeless. The nitro really sucks this one dry... figuratively, of course.

This is one of those stouts that’s way too creamy and light bodied for me. It looks quite handsome, dark, dark brown (not black) with a tall, creamy tan head. It’s got a faint roasted barley aroma - - some coffee there, as well. It’s got light coffee and roasted barley flavor and finishes quite dry. Okay, but one’s enough for me.

<font size=-4><a href=http://www.ratebeer.com/Places/ShowPlace.asp?PlaceID=444>Rock Bottom Chicago, Chicago, IL<font size=-1>

At RB Chicago location: Opaque with creamy nitro head and very good lace. The aroma has notes of bittersweet mocha, coffee, walnuts, and roasted barley. The taste starts malty and has some light bitters. Mild chocolate, nut, and prune. Coffeeish finish in this basic dry stout. The feel is creamy but overcarbonated and takes away from the flavors. Okay, nothing special. For those who are wanna-be beer geeks but can’t stand powerful stouts.

Light malt and smoke smell. Weird, thick, peach colored head. The body is medium. Decently roasted and fairly light. Overall, the flavors are too weak. Roast beef aftertaste. A typical micro.